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NMSU nursing students score impressive success rate in nursing exam

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing released data that showed nursing students from New Mexico State University had a 94.29 percent pass rate in their first time taking the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), an exam required to obtain a license as a registered nurse.

"It is significant for NMSU that the students pass on the first time taking the exam," said Pamela Schultz, the interim department head for the NMSU School of Nursing in the College of Health and Social Services. "It's very important for nurses to be well-prepared, and this is also one of our benchmarks in maintaining certain standards to retain accreditation for the nursing program."

Schultz said the NCLEX is a difficult test to prepare for because it doesn't just require students to know facts, but for them to used applied knowledge when given scenarios in the exam's questions.

"It is a test you can't really practice for," Schultz said.

Schultz said NMSU nursing students' first-time pass rate for the exam has hovered around 90-95 percent for the past few years, and she attributes the success to the hard work put in by the students and the support they receive from the faculty.

"We're a very rigorous program, and the faculty is committed to everyone admitted in the program becoming successful," Schultz said. "We work hard to give them everything they need to be successful without compromising quality."